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Culann’s Hound 5: Advent

Near the top of the list of places I want to visit is Co. Antrim in Northern Ireland, where nine picturesque valleys, known as the Glens of Antrim, line the dramatic coast. It’s a place of wildflowers, waterfalls, cliffs, ancient ring forts, and fairies.

Glenariff, the Queen of the glens, is the largest of the nine. Photo Jonathan Tweed, Creative Commons license.

5. Advent

Deichtire opened the door to find her father on the doorstep with a small bundle in his arms. The bundle emitted a loud, angry noise. Súaltam came up behind her.

“Cathbad, is this our son? Let me see him.” Smiling, he took the bundle and opened the soft blanket to reveal the infant’s body, naked except for the amulet string that looped across his chest and over one shoulder. It held a white stone bead shaped like a horn, a small bell, and an herb pouch. “He’s strong! Look at him kicking!”

The squalling continued. “Let me take him,” she said. “Have you fed him on the journey, Father?” The heart fluttered within her as she received the small yet weighty body in her arms. Our son. His head was covered with black hair, his face was red, and his eyes were screwed shut.

“I had a flask of milk and honey, which he sucked from a piece of felt when we stopped for a rest,” said Cathbad. “But he was tetchy the whole way. Have you a wet nurse here?”

“Yes, one of our tenants.” She was still looking down at him, rocking him back and forth a little, when suddenly he opened his eyes, regarding her intently. The eyes were many-colored, blue and green, with gold flecks. Deichtire was surprised; every other newborn she’d seen had possessed blue eyes, which only slowly turned green, grey, or very rarely, brown. The child couldn’t be older than a week or two, as he still had the stump of cord at his navel, a reminder of his unknown mother. Her father had informed them that he was bringing their long-desired child, but he refused to divulge the infant’s origins.

She left the men to talk and took the babe to the hastily-prepared nursery, where Fearbán was waiting; her six-month-old son Ailín lay nearby in a cot.

“Is this the wee darlin’ now? And hungry, I expect.” The nurse pulled up her smock to reveal a heavy, swollen breast, and Deichtire handed her the infant. He was already rooting, turning his face this way and that, his little mouth making sucking motions, his eyes still wide open. He clamped onto the nipple with great force, and the strange eyes closed in satisfaction.

“There now,” said Fearbán. “He knows the way, don’t he just.” Deichtire watched her son feed, envious that she was unable to nourish him herself. When he was full, Fearbán showed her how to swaddle him, and they laid him in his own princely bed, with its intricate painted carvings of twining leaves and flowers. This had been Súaltam’s first bed, and had stood in a corner unused, but hardly forgotten, all the years of their marriage.

When she returned to the hall, Súaltam and Cathbad were discussing names. “Fergus, perhaps,” said her husband. “So he’ll grow in manly strength.” Her father shook his head and Súaltam rubbed his chin in thought. “He could be called Conchobar, a kingly name after all.”

“The hound lover? No, no,” said Cathbad. “A fine name, but somehow not right for this lad. Better Eochaidh, the horseman.” They both looked up as she approached. “How fares my son?” asked Súaltam.

“Our son, you mean,” she answered calmly. “He is well. Nurse said he knew his way to the teat.” Both men chuckled, construing a meaning she hadn’t intended.

“Sétanta,” exclaimed Cathbad. “The one who knows his way.”

Súaltam nodded, pleased. “Sétanta mac Súaltam shall be his name.”

Copyright 2016 by Linnet Moss

Notes: I had a bit of fun devising an origin story for the name Sétanta, which is Cúchulainn’s given name.

Sétanta’s amulet string is my idea, but I have no doubt that if he was a historical person, he wore amulets as an infant, and perhaps as an adult too. Cultures the world over protect babies from harm this way. Ancient Greek children wore amulet strings draped over one shoulder and protectively across the chest, so that’s what I gave Sétanta.

Thanks Hari. In the sagas his eyes are *very* strange indeed–I toned it down so he didn’t seem like an alien from outer space 🙂
BTW, going to New York in December and pondering the possibility of “Nabucco” with Placido Domingo–what do you think?

oh that is great, when are you in NY??? cause cough cough i’m there weekend of 2nd Dec :-p And i think the Nabucco would be a wonderful experience. He is not a baritone, for which the ole was written BUT he is one of a kind and if you’e never seen him live you should! His presence and charisma are special and even though his voice is higher in tone since he still is a tenor he has such beautiful style 🙂 And if it is at the Met i think they might still have one of their old productions which is fun. It’s not a modern experience if that’s the case but on the other hand particularly with him it will have the old times class and elegance :-)I think it is an experience worth having. That’s my biggest regret that i will not make it to the Met when i go, i never thought that would be the case, since i have never been and it is the last of the really big opera houses apart from Australia on my list of must sees.. but such is life.

Oh, I wish you could get to the Met! We are going to be there over Christmas so sadly not at the same time as you. But on your recommendation I’m going to see if I can get tickets. I know that Domingo is performing at the Dec 22 show. My mother said, “He is the last of the Three Tenors!” But yes, I would have expected Nebuchadnezzar to be a baritone.

I had a look, ohhhhh!!!! http://www.metopera.org/Season/2016-17-Season/nabucco-verdi-tickets/ the cast is brilliant, Monastyrska as his daughter is a-mazing! She is one of my favourite sopranos in the world, such an incredible voice! And Russel Thomas sings lovely too, he’s been at the RH. And Jamie Barton is a treat as well, wonderful singing. And James Levine conducting!! And the production is lovely old fashioned 😉 But if you’ve never seen Nabucco that really works. I love the opera to bits, it’s the first i ever saw when i was 3 years old and still is on my top list. All i can say is go, go go!! Really envious 🙂 xxx

Wow!! Thanks for this. It helps because I know so little about opera. It will be our first one, as a live show I mean. We’ve seen some onscreen. That means telling the LSH that he has to bring a suit 🙂

oh well, i am no sure about the Met but at the ROH anything goes, where i sit i have seen shorts and flip flops as well ;-)) Most people come from work so that should be ok, just do what you feel like 🙂

also, last one, because James Levine is a legend, he is one of the really good and really famous conductors in opera and due to his age and ill health he won’t be doing this much longer, in fact the Met has already appointed a new music director, so it’s a treat to still be able to her him conduct.

no, but Zelko who is the other baritone is great, but still the Dominco cast is better. Worst comes to worst the met does rush tickets. http://www.metopera.org/Season/Tickets/Rush-Page/ They tend to be quite good. (this is opera nuts for you, we know everything about buying tickets even if we haven’t been to the theatre, ever)

ok, apologies, you got me going 😉 So, here they are in the ROH production which is modern. As said in spite of me being partial to dark baritone voice for the role as Verdi intended he is so special, i love Placido and always will. He could make stones cry in this role and many more.

i hope you will love it, i think there is no better introduction to opera than Verdi 🙂 oh well the production here is um.. plain 🙂 I call it the sand-pit LOL (it’s one of the worst we have actually but the few images look good) But Verdi compensates for any production failures 😉